


Beauty and the Bet - Bookstore AU

by Sparksrise



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU Day, Bumbleby - Freeform, Bumbleby Week 2019, Bumbleby au, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-07-07 19:57:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19857172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sparksrise/pseuds/Sparksrise
Summary: Alternate first meeting for Yang and Blake one shot, Ruby is trying her best to wing woman and Yang is a bit of a mess.





	Beauty and the Bet - Bookstore AU

“Rubes, I swear to gods, if you don’t choose in the next two minutes, I am leaving you here!”  
Ruby was holding a book in each hand again, looking between them. She had been reading the back of both and scanning random pages for ten minutes at this point, and Yang was starting to lose patience.  
“You say that like being trapped in a bookstore would be a punishment,” Ruby responded with a smile.  
Ruby dropped the book in her hands and bounced over to another aisle as Yang watched, exasperated. Ready to just throw her little sister over her shoulder and walk out of there.  
“It’s a punishment when I’m the one with the money,” Yang responded with a smirk.  
“That’s low, Yang, betraying your own flesh and blood like that? I am hurt, hurt!”  
Yang’s only response was to raise an eyebrow and slowly reach for her bike keys.  
“Fiiiiinnnneee.”  
Ruby stomped over to a different shelf and grabbed a book.  
“I’m getting this one,” she announced with finality, waving the book above her head dramatically.  
“That was the first one you looked at! You could have chosen it twenty minutes ago!”  
Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated sigh before reaching for the book Ruby was waving around.  
“Fine, let’s go before I decide to leave you here anyway.”  
At the last second, Ruby pulled the book away from Yang’s hand.  
“Hey, I was doing you a favour!”  
“How so?” Yang asked, still fixated on getting the book out of her sister’s hand so they could finally get out of there.  
“If I had chosen this book twenty minutes ago, you wouldn’t have been able to shamelessly stare at the cute girl over there for so long.” Ruby nodded her head towards the other side of the store.  
“Ha no, ppfff. I – I don’t know what you’re talking about” Yang stammered.  
Ruby burst out laughing.  
“Are you blushing? I was just teasing! You really are a disaster around girls sometimes.”  
“I barely noticed her; I was just – you caught me off guard is all.”  
“You’re a terrible liar, sis,” Ruby shot back, still stifling laughter. “You should go say hi!”  
“Absolutely not!”  
“Oh, come on Yang, what’s the worst that could happen?”  
*I could die* Yang thought to herself.  
Instead of voicing that thought, she just folded her arms and leaned back against the bookshelf in an attempt to seem unconcerned.  
Ruby saw right through her and she knew it. Ruby was starting to back up away from her sister, grinning wide and wearing the same look she wore every time she was going to do something stupid.  
“You know what? I think I spent too much time in this area of the store.”  
“Ruby,” Yang warned.  
“I need to, you know, branch out. Broaden my horizons or whatever.”  
Before Yang could even react, Ruby darted off and disappeared around the corner. Yang was tempted to go after her, but she knew her sister. Ruby had no intention of leaving before Yang at least said hi to the girl she had been struggling to keep her eyes off of. She was curled up on one of the beaten-up armchairs on the opposite side of the store. She seemed completely lost in whatever world existed between the pages of the book in her hands.  
“Stop staring, you stalker,” Yang berated herself, not for the first time that morning. “Just go say hi, that’s all you have to do.”

Yang took a deep breath to steady herself and, before she could talk herself out of it, she walked across the room.  
“Hi.” *Damn I really should have planned what to say next* “Ugh…nice weather out today, right?”  
Yang internally face palmed so hard she was surprised the other girl couldn’t hear it. The other girl hadn’t even looked up from her book. She looked disinterested and Yang was really starting to regret coming over. The girl seemed to finish the page she was on before dragging her eyes away to meet Yang’s. Yang knew that whatever came out of her mouth next was going to be even less coherent.  
Her eyes were gold. She’d never seen anything like them, and they were made even more striking by the dark hair framing them. Yang rubbed the back of her neck, halfway to full-blown panic when the other girl’s only response was to raise an eyebrow at her. She could feel the heat starting in her cheeks as she heard herself say – “I like your bow! It goes great with your…jacket.”  
The other girl smirked but she at least looked amused at how badly Yang was messing this up. Yang was debating turning around, walking away and finding a way to erase her memory later when her scroll buzzed.  
Ruby: Just ask her what her book is about  
Ruby: You got this 😉  
Yang’s blush darkened as she tried to casually put her scroll away and pretend that she hadn’t just been fed an opening line by her little sister.  
“So ugh, what’s your book about?”  
Yang was sure the other girl would just ignore her and go back to reading but her heart nearly stopped when she actually got a response.  
“It’s about a man with two souls, each battling for control over his body.” Her voice was quiet but she didn’t sound annoyed like Yang was half expecting. She’s relieved but still clueless about what to say next. Her hands fidgeted with her jacket zip out of habit as she searched for something to say back. “Oh, that sounds… cool!” “Okay I’m sorry. I noticed you and thought you were… beautiful, so I just wanted to say hi.”  
She looked around, frustrated with herself, and her eyes landed on the small café attached to the store.  
“So, can I get you a coffee or something and we can just pretend this never happened?”  
At that, Yang actually got a genuine smile and, for a moment, felt at ease for the first time since she walked over.  
“Sure, but I prefer tea.”  
“Tea it is, then.”

The fact that this beautiful girl hadn’t walked away or called the police had Yang ecstatic. She was finally starting to less nervous and as the barista handed over their drinks, she decided she was not ready to let it end just yet.  
“So, how do you feel about playing a game?”  
“I thought this was supposed to be your peace offering before walking away,” the other girl replied, indicating the to-go cup in her hands.  
“Of course, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything. We can leave it at coffee if you’d like,” Yang offered. She was starting to get some of her confidence back though, as she realised that the other girl’s tone had been light and even a little teasing. Before she could second guess it, she added –  
“If you feel like playing, I’ll make it worth your while”  
She winked as she said it and just got an eye roll in return. She was never the smoothest flirter when it mattered most. Clubs with lots of people and the occasional boost from alcohol were far easier.  
“Okay then, what’s the game?”  
“We get five questions each, then we have to pick out a book we think the other will like” Yang replied.  
“Five questions are not a lot.”  
“Better use them wisely, then. I’ll buy one for you after. Whether it’s the one I’ll pick out or the one you were reading is up to you.”  
The other girl considered her for a minute, worrying her lip as she did.  
*Damn she was cute*  
“Okay then, fact or fiction?”  
“Fiction.” Yang answered easily. “I definitely prefer escaping into other worlds for a while. What’s your name?”  
“I don’t see how that information could possibly help you with this.”  
“Fair point, it would make me a whole lot happier though.”  
The other girl looked amused but simply walked ahead without answering Yang’s question.  
“Fantasy or Sci-fi?”  
Yang considered for a minute before answering. “I read both, but I probably prefer fantasy… Action or Romance?” She shot back.  
The other girl paused , tilting her head slightly as she considered.  
“I’m leaning towards romance, as long as there are no love triangles.”  
Yang nodded as they continued to walk around the store, occasionally looking at books and considering them. The flow of the conversation was finally smooth, and Yang was feeling more confident as she tried to figure the other girl out.  
“Okay then, do you prefer a series or stand-alone novel?” Yang asked. She already had a few books in mind, but finding the right questions was getting more difficult.  
“A series,” the other girl replied quickly. “You have more time to get to know the characters and their world. Do you read much?”  
Yang was slightly surprised by the question, unable to see how that information could help win the game. Excited by the idea that the other girl might actually be trying to know more personal information about her, she answered enthusiastically.  
“I do, just not as much as when I used to read to my little sister Ruby – the girl in the red hoodie - every night when we were younger.”  
“That the same girl who texted you an opening line?” the other asked casually, clearly trying to keep a smile from her face. She lost that battle as soon as she saw Yang’s reaction. She was blushing and couldn’t look the other girl in the eye for a moment. She recovered quickly though, clearing her throat before replying.  
“That counts as one of your questions.”  
Her response made the other girl laugh, genuinely laugh, and Yang immediately wanted to hear that sound again. Her eyes lit up and her smile was shy, but she was able to switch between shy and quiet and teasing and flirty in a way that was so damn endearing.  
“So, do you have a favourite author?” Yang asked, hoping that getting lost in her thoughts had not lasted as long as it had felt.  
“That question feels like cheating.”  
Yang took a minute to come up with another question and was enjoying just walking. The silences didn’t feel awkward anymore, which was a relief, and she could tell that they were both at least a little less tense.  
“Okay then…soulmates, yes or no?”  
“It’s an interesting concept. I’m not sure if I believe in them, though.”  
“Last question, use it wisely,” Yang said with a wink.  
“What’s your name?” The other girl asked immediately as if the question had been burning at the tip of her tongue for a while.  
Yang narrowed her eyes at the other girl for a minute and considered whether or not to answer. After a moment she decided and smirked.  
“You said you prefer series, right? So that means you are probably used to cliff-hangers.”  
The other girl just let out a humph while rolling her eyes in annoyance, but she didn’t push for Yang to answer.  
“Okay, now time for my last question.”  
“Actually, I do believe you’ve used all of yours.”  
“What? You didn’t answer two of mine, now who’s cheating? Yang asked, incredulous”  
“I guess you should have specified the rules of your game better,” she retorted with a shrug.  
“Well, in that case, since we apparently condone cheating, it looks like we’re ready.” Yang offered the other girl her arm to direct her to a different part of the store. She rolled her eyes but she smiled at Yang and took her arm as they wander towards the area she had been sitting in earlier.  
“So, you like romance, soulmates are a maybe, but love triangles are a definite no.”  
Yang scanned the shelves intently as she spoke. She really wanted to get this right. Before she has a chance to pick a book, she was distracted by the other girl pulling away and drifting to a different part of the store.  
“Stay here,” she said as she backs away. “I’ll be back in a moment.”  
“Sure thin- wait. Is this your not-so-elaborate way to ditch me?” She was joking but she still rubbed the back of her neck nervously.  
“Guess you’ll have to wait to find out,” the other girl responded lightly and added a wink as she turned away.  
Yang laughed as she watched her walk away. She watched her until she rounded the corner and was lost amongst the shelves.

By the time she returned, Yang had two books picked out, keeping one hidden behind her. She let the other girl show off her books first and couldn’t help but burst out laughing when she was handed a small yellow book called ‘101 Great Opening Lines.’  
“Wow, I don’t know if I should be offended or not,” Yang chuckled.  
“Offense or not, I think I’m helping. Not that you need much of that.”  
“Is that so?”  
“Don’t go getting a big head about it or anything. And don’t worry, I picked out one I thought you’d actually like, too” she said as she handed it over. Yang was silent for a long moment and her jaw dropped as she stared at the book and had to remind herself to close her mouth.  
“Everything okay, have you read it already, did you hate it?”  
“Yes, yes and no. It’s just, I used to read this to Ruby a lot. It was her favourite. I guess it became my favourite story, too.”  
To avoid getting too sentimental, Yang handed over one of the books she’d picked out, it was the third one in the series and had just come out that week but Yang just had a feeling that “The Lost Fable” was a good choice and would go over well. She was right, the other girl practically snatched the book from her hand. “I forgot this was out! It’s part of my favourite series, how did you know?”  
“What I lack in pick up lines I make up for with intuition. Also, I got you a slightly less serious book, too.”  
Yang handed over a book called ‘Ninjas of Love’ and couldn’t help but smile as the other girl blushed.  
“I… may have already read that one,” she admitted sheepishly.  
“Really? Damn.”  
“Why?”  
“I was going to do a stupid game type thing that Ruby and I played over dinner once to annoy a friend.”  
“What is it?”  
“Each of us takes turns reading a paragraph and have to keep our faces neutral the whole time.”  
She raised an eyebrow at Yang before asking, “So what do I get when I win?”  
“Ha! Okay then. How about the winner gets the other person’s name and number?”  
“You’re on.” The other girl’s confidence and the challenge in her voice surprised Yang a little but her competitiveness completely overrode the way it flustered her a little and made her heartbeat just a little jumpy.

Yang lost, badly. She started off strong and was starting to get the other girl to blush slightly but then she made the mistake of changing the rules a bit. They each got to choose what paragraph the other person read. The other girl took the book from her, flicked to a different page and handed it back confidently, all while looking her right in the eye. Yang took one glance over the paragraph and snapped the book shut.  
“Okay, nope I surrender.”  
The other girl already had her scroll ready for Yang to put her information into.  
“Yang? That’s a nice name. Worth the cliff-hanger.”  
The other girl’s phone buzzed and she sighed. “I have to go. My parents are looking for me.” She sounded disappointed, which definitely made Yang feel even more sure that she was not going to get ghosted.  
Yang managed to convince her to let her buy the book, she looked so excited about before she left. As she watched her walk out of the store, she knew that their interaction had gone well, but a small part of her worried that now that the other girl was completely in control of the situation, she’d just delete Yang’s number. Just as she turned away from the door to go look for Ruby, her scroll buzzed.

Unknown Number: It’s Blake by the way 😉

**Author's Note:**

> First ever fic! Really excited to post this for bumbleby week. Hope you enjoyed. I'm just starting out so any comments that are constructive are welcome.


End file.
